Educational assistance

7-K students to benefit from gov't program

STA. MARIA, Davao Occidental – More than 7,000 kindergarten and grade schoolers in the province will benefit as Governor Claude Bautista and his elder brother Vice-Governor Franklin Bautista and some members of the provincial board launched the Comprehensive Program for the Barangays under the Best Education for Social Transformation (CPB-BEST) at the Jose Timbol Sr. Central Elementary School here Tuesday.

At least 680 pupils received complete school uniform, backpack bag, shoes, socks, notebooks, ballpen, and pencil during the initial distribution.

Governor Bautista said local officials recognized the immediate need of both parents and teachers as some students refuse to attend classes due to lack of uniforms and school supplies.

“We don’t want to see children missing their chance of getting good education just because of this reason. Hence, we come up with this plan, the ‘Bihis Bata Program’ to give each children the opportunity to learn many things in school even if their parents are poor,” the governor said.

Vice-Governor Franklin Bautista said the provincial board members allocated P9-million for 2017 as fund for the program.

“By 2018, the program will be sustained by allocating another P15-million to accommodate every school children in the province. This is a continuing program to help our parents in sending their kids to school,” the vicegovernor said.

Roberto Mariscal, Jose Timbol school principal, said he is confident that the Bihis-Bata Program could help eradicate minors going out-of-school due to poverty.

“We are very happy of this program. I could see how happy those kids are wearing their decent school uniforms. It’s a big boost to their morale,” Mariscal said. Orlando B. Dinoy